on training, travel and other adventures on the road to Olympics 2012

Shannon is an Olympic athlete, World Championships Bronze medalist and two-time US 1500m Champion. When she isn't running she is exploring San Francisco's museums, restaurants, nightlife and art scene.

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05/02/2014

The "Ask Me Anything" just closed, but I couldn't let this week pass without re-posting the "grilling" from my good friend Vegard Bitnes, Olympic Silver Medalist Biathlon coach from Sochi!

Thanks to everyone who wrote in. If you think of any questions that you wish you had asked, you can write in: shannonrowburyUSA@gmail.com

Question from VegardB:

Hi Shannon.Greate to see that you are awnseering everything. So, lets us give it a shoot….Many people find it difficult to make out what they are good for when it really matters.In competition, when to make a speech, during exams and interview many people fall out completely.Do you feel that you are a person “fixing” that, or not? Do you do any preperation before every competition to hadle that, or not?in outher words, Is it possible to train oneself to control your nerves so that you get out what you are good for?Every journey have a entry point, where is yours?What is the difference between a dream and a gold in your eyes? And what do you spesific do to reach your gold? How do you work with goldsetting?Sometimes people have dificulties to keep focus before/during/after race, people freeaking out/angy/say there frustration in media and so on..This means that it is not just a way to respond to a situation, everything depends on your truths.In order to think positively when you feel you have reason to think negatively, you must learn to change “discs.”When you don't get what you want (your gold), how do you think, what do you do?Really looking forward to see your awnseers Shannon.

My response:

Thanks for the grilling Vegard...

I am a huge believer in practice and preparation. I take a detailed approach to my physical training and I have tried to do the same mentally. I treat each practice session as a dress rehearsal for races, and in each race, I set a goal beforehand that I can review afterward. I try to create this systematic approach so that I can learn and improve from each experience. I've been fortunate in my life to have some great coaches (mental and physical) to teach me these principles, and I have tried to make them a consistent part of my training.

In terms of nervousness, I definitely experience that, sometimes more than others, but I have learned how to keep things in perspective and I have lived through enough disappointment and hard times to know that they truly will not kill me, but only make me stronger. I enjoy a challenge and I see every setback as a way to learn about myself, my weaknesses, and what makes me tick. I also have learned the importance of finding a close and supportive team to rely on (coaches, teammates, family or friends) and otherwise keeping the circle small. I minimize my social media consumption, so that the thoughts and projections of others don't distract me from my own truths.

Not exactly sure what you mean by "entry point", but when I think about my journey as an athlete, it has always been guided by my desire to be the best possible at my given undertaking. I loved dance and I love running, but what I love more is the challenge of trying to be the best at something and the process of figuring out how to make that possible.

Is there any daily exercise routine that you'd suggest to those of us who are recreational runners? More to keep the muscles supple etc?"

My response:

I really recommend setting up a good plyo routine for yourself and making it a part of your daily post-run or post-workout routine. I really like having this stuff on paper (or iPhone notepad), so I can have a seamless transition when I am done with my aerobic training. I also keep a yoga mat, med ball and stretching supplies in my car so I can do these exercises wherever I did my run. I have found that the longer I wait post-run to do my exercises, not only do they become less beneficial, but I am also much less likely do them.

So, maybe something like this. It should only take 10:00 to do and over time it will make a huge difference:

4) Take the last few minutes to work on any weaknesses. If you've ever had a PT or coach tell you that you need some extra work on something, take the time now to do it.

Hope this helps.

Question from gottarun96:

"Have you ever had menstrual irregularities? I started running when I was 10 and I am now 18. I haven't started my period yet."

My response: This is a tough topic but one that is important to discuss since it's a problem that has become very common amongst young female runners. I did have a year-long period of amenorrhea my Freshman year in college. I worked very hard to get to the source of the problem rather than apply a band-aid and call it fixed.

Part of the issue for me was the increased training load and the stress of college classes. I also found that I had low iron, so I worked to improve my ferritin levels. Lastly, I met with a nutritionist and made sure that my diet was balanced. My weight had stayed the same and I ate what I thought were good meals, but I was eating cafeteria food selected by myself and the nutritionist helped me to make sure I was getting enough healthy fats and proteins into my diet.

I resisted taking birth control not only because it disagreed with my body, but more importantly because if something was so out of balance that it prevented my periods, then I wanted to know that information so I could address the problem/imbalance. I have found that when one thing in the body is off, whether it is mechanical or physiological, it can disrupt the whole system and lead to greater problems. I think the most important thing for you or anyone suffering from amenorrhea is to find a doctor, coach, nutritionist, etc. whom you trust and work with them to help get your body achieve a happy balance.

I thought I would use my blog to re-post some of my favorite questions. I'll start with the first responer to the "Ask Me Anything" call for questions. If you think of anything else you would like me to answer, feel free to post here or on the Runner's World Forum!

Posted by wcrunner:

"Shannon, welcome to the world of recreational runners. As both a world class runner and someone committed to promoting health and fitness, do you see any conflict between the growing practice of handing out finishers medals and participation awards with encouraging the excellence needed to compete at the highest levels? Secondly, what effect do you think the growth in road running, especially in the half marathon and marathon, is having on track and field as I see more young runners on the roads rather than running for their school teams?"

Response to wcrunner:

"In a world where obesity is endemic and physical education is disappearing from schools, anything that gets people out the door has my support. While I wish that professional running would receive better coverage and support within the United States, I have hope that the growing participation in the sport at large might help raise interest and awareness about running at all levels. It's amazing what something like a participant medal (or a Tiffany's necklace a la Nike Women's Marathon) will do to motivate a person, especially someone who maybe never had a chance to participate in sports before. Setting your mind to something like a marathon, preparing for and then finishing something that monumental is quite an accomplishment, and I think it's great for participants to have something with which to remember that.

As for youth runners, I think the most important thing is that they are training appropriately for their age. I am seeing more and more youth runners undertaking training loads that are harmful to their growing bodies. While these boys and girls are still growing into men and women, I think their coaches need to make sure they are teaching the fundamentals of healthy training to help their athletes establish habits that will hopefully last a lifetime. If these youth prefer road racing over track, that's fine. I am more concerned with making sure they make it to adulthood still running and don't succumb to career ending injuries before their time."

Ababe Bikila was an Eithiopian barefoot runner who became the first person ever to win consecutive Olympic Marathon Gold (1960 & 1964). But this is not only a story of success. After Bikila was paralyzed in a car accident, he went on to become an archer in the paraolympics and a dog-sledder in Norway. The Athlete teaches us about the power of perserverence and the strength of the human heart.

A portion of proceeds for the evening will benefit Karno Kids, an
organization focused on improving the health and wellness of our youth.

By attending, not only will you get to see a great film but you'll also get to hang out with some local running celebrities like Dean Karnazes, David Torrence, Alysia Johnson and me!

When: Monday November 19Where: Balboa Theatre; 3630 Balboa St, San FranciscoWhat: 7:00-7:30 Red Carpet Arrival 7:30–10:00 Feature program including short film contest winner, screening of feature film The Athlete, Q & A with the co-writer/director/producer and star of the film Rasselas Lake

___________________________________________About Film Festival Flix (FFF): Film Festival Flix is a monthly film series bringing award-winning and audience favorite films and unique one-night only experiences to venues across the country. The monthly series is currently in Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Dubuque, Denver, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Red carpet photo opportunities, an interview with the filmmakers, and a ticket holder reception make for an unforgettable night for audiences, filmmakers, neighboring businesses, press and media. Following the screening, all films are available for download at www.filmfestivalflix.com .

Sponsorship Opportunities: There are a limited number of local sponsorship opportunities including logo display on film posters, collateral material, and red carpet ‘step and repeat’ photo location as well as a presence/table display at the event itself. Contact Melina Jampolis @ 415.577.0439 or drmelina@hotmail.com for more information.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a great meeting with Ike (of Ike's Place) a couple weeks ago. After a 3 hour chat, we came up with a recipe for the Shannon Rowbury Sandwich! Here's what's going to be on it: Teriyaki Salmon Burger, Wasabi, Provolone, Lettuce/Tomato on a Mariposa Bakery Gluten Free Bun. Sound good? Let me know.

Why salmon, you might ask? Well...it's my prerace dinner before pretty much every race, so I had to pay it homage for all the times it's helped to get me across the finish line!

Caveat: Not all of Ike's 11 locations carry salmon burgers (yet), but the Halal chicken version is delicious too. And if the Shannon sounds good to you, be sure to ask for it! Fingers crossed for a new fan favorite!

You've all heard of prerace coffee and most runners know of the Kenyan obcession with Chai Tea, but not enough athletes appreciate the versitility of tea. Since before I can remember I have watched my grandma "Nonie" make her Earl Gray with Half and Half once an hour at home. But I never truly appreciated all the amazing abilites of tea until I had the chance to do a tea tasting with Jesse Jacobs, the owner of Samovar Tea. He explained how to brew tea properly, why good water was important, and what differentiates white from green from black from herbal.

The Shannon Rowbury Athlete Pack of teas will be in stores soon. It will feature a black tea, green tea, and an herbal blend, accompanied by a description of how I use each tea as part of my daily training. There will also be an autograph card, signed by me, in each pack.

Not only will the Athlete Pack be an asset to your daily training, but you will also be supporting a great cause! A percentage of proceeds for every Athlete Pack sold will go towards my new Non-Profit "Imagining More!" So drink up!

Come join Pablo Solares (Mexican National Record Holder & my cute boyfriend) at the UGallery as he and 3 other SF artists kick off their new exhibit. The UGallery owners are young and hip, the artists are diverse and interesting, and word on the street is there will be some wine to sip. If that doesn't define Mission cool, then I don't know what does!

Pablo Solares (yup same guy from above) and I are excited to announce the creation of our non-profit Imagining More. We are kicking it off in style with a event at the Meridian Gallery (just off Union Square) in San Francisco.

The event will feature additional artwork for sale by Pablo, who has generously offered to donate 50% of the proceeds towards Imagining More. Additionally, I will be raffling off some of my own signed Olympic gear for anyone who makes a donation (1 ticket per $20 donated).

04/28/2012

As an item offered at the BATC auction organized in the fall of last year, I spent an afternoon at Amador Valley High School directing a clinic called “One Hour to Race Time,” which focused on teaching proper warm-up techniques.

The goal of the clinic was to help the athletes fine tune their warm up routine and the time was prioritized around teaching proper technique for drills and stretching exercises. I divided the 2 hour clinic into 4 parts: Introduction; Jog & Dynamic Flexibility; Sprint Drills & a “race” (4x100m relay); and Review/Q&A.

After a short introduction, everyone did a couple laps around the track to get their muscles warmed up and ready for drills and stretches. All the kids, around 15, dove into the lesson, mentally and physically. I was extremely impressed by the the skills the athletes already possessed, showing that their coach, Jason Oswalt, had done an excellent job coaching his athletes and laying a great foundation for them. I feel that this is extremely important and should be one of the major focus’ of a high school coach.

I taught the athletes components of my own warm up routine and watched them to make sure that they were executing each exercise properly. Since most of the athletes already had a basic understanding of these drills and exercises, I was able to focus on the finer details such as foot placement and arm carry. The athletes all responded quite will to this feedback.

After all the Dynamics and Drills were done, we headed outside. As the athletes did their strides, Coach Jason and I organized the relay teams, complete with one of the coaches on anchor. Team Oz (I believe it was called) was the clear winner, but I like to think that everyone had fun. At least there was plenty of trash talk coupled with hooting/hollering. More importantly, in speaking with the athletes, many felt that performing the drills correctly had the most significant impact on the routine.

We ended the clinic with a short Q&A session where the athletes had a chance to share what they learned and ask any questions. Some of my favorite ones were: -Q: “What do I do if a meet is running behind schedule?”-A: Try to relax. Rest until you catch up then jog a couple laps and do a few more drills or strides, but try not to panic and spend so much time warming up that you are tired for your race. -Q: “Where did you get your pants from? My friend and I have admiring them since you got here” -A: “Nike” :)

The two hours at Amador Valley went very smoothly and although it was a rainy and cold day, everyone was very excited and happy to learn new ways to improve their warm up routines and to learn about life as a professional runner.

Thanks Amador Valley High School Track Team for being a great host and a supporter of the BATC. Best of luck of luck for the rest of the season.

02/11/2012

Tonight I am competing in my second Indoor race of the season, the first ever Millrose NYRR Wanamaker Women's Metric Mile, which will be contested in front of a sold out crowd in the New York City the Armory. The gun goes off at 8pm and will include another excellent field of women. I'm excited to get back to the event I know best, especially now that I have a race under my belt. I'm also extremely excited to race at the Armory again, a venue that I frequented quite often in college days at Duke, but which I haven't been back to since 2007. The event will be streaming live on YouTube, so if you've got an internet connection, make sure you check it out.

Last Saturday I ran my first race of the 2012 season, a 3k at the Boston New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. The race spread out quickly, with the lead pack taking it out in 68-69 seconds per lap. Since it was my first race, and I was coming out of altitude, I was hesitant to bite off more than I could chew. I knew I was strong but had some sharpening to do, so I decided it would be best to take it out conservatively. My goal was to work the middle of the race and finish strongly: I finished well, but unfortunately the 55 meter gap between the lead pack and the chase pack made made it hard to get the most out of that middle section. In the end, I placed 5th in 8:55, which is a respectable finish but makes me wish I had another chance to go at it in the 3k.

I also had an opporutnity to speak with David Monti about last year and my thoughts on the upcoming season. As usual, he wrote a great article: "SHAKING OFF LAST YEAR'S DISAPPOINTMENTS, ROWBURY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 2012 SEASON." You can read the article below.

BOSTON (03-Feb) - When Shannon Rowbury broke the tape to win the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City in September, 2009, she capped the best year of her career. The 2008 Olympian and former Duke University star had ascended to become America's #1 female miler, winning national titles at 1500m and the mile on the road, clocking a swift 4:00.81 for 1500m, and taking the bronze medal at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

But during 2011, Rowbury, 27, didn't win a single race. Moreover, while she struggled to regain her form after dealing with Achilles injuries in both her left and right ankles, she watched compatriots Morgan Uceny and Jenny Simpson pile on the accolades, including Uceny's #1-ranking in the 1500m by Track & Field News and Simpson's world 1500m title, the first by an American woman in 28 years.

"Last year? I felt like nothing could go right for me last year," Rowbury said in an interview with Race Results Weekly. "I hurt my right Achilles in the fall, and just as that was getting better around this time last year, my left Achilles started bothering me. I lost my grandmother, who was like a second mother to me. It was just like, man, I can't catch a break."

Rowbury, who lives in San Francisco and trains under John Cook's Austin Track Club, is here in Boston to make a fresh start at tomorrow night's New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. She's been in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where Cook's group does their winter altitude training, focusing on building her strength and endurance for the long Olympic year. She'll run the 3000m here as a rust-buster against a strong field, which includes Simpson.

"Last year forced me to reevaluate everything," Rowbury continued. "There were some really tough moments where I questioned why I did this as a sport, why I put myself through this, you know, trying to put myself in the shape I had been in and not quite being able to get there. But, it made me realize how fit I had been and appreciate that."

Rowbury said she enjoys the relaxed vibe that training in Mexico offers, a calm prelude to the pressures of elite international competition. Her boyfriend, miler Pablo Solares, is also Mexican and the pair train together, along with Leo Manzano, Treniere Moser, and Lea Wallace amongst others.

"It's been good," she said of her latest stretch of training. "I've been in Mexico since the beginning of December... and I've really enjoyed the simplicity of life in Mexico: good weather, easy access to facilities, and having extra time at altitude to build that base I missed out on last year, to get that extra strength."

By starting out her season with a 3-K, Rowbury won't have to call on the kind of speed she has shown in the mile, where she is a fierce kicker. But, she said, under Cook's program, there is always an element of speed development in their training, even during an endurance phase.

"I think my speed is good," said. "It's certainly not where it will be in June, but throughout the year coach Cook does a good job of making sure we are not too far from speed. We're always doing, at least once a week, a speed development day. We've been doing power lifting and stuff like that in the weight room to get that explosiveness."

Tomorrow's race --her first since last September-- will give her objective feedback on her current level of fitness, she said, especially since she's been running exclusively at high altitude which means running at a slower pace.

"I'm excited go get out there again against a top-notch field of women and just kind of push myself and see where my strengths and weaknesses are and moving forward from there."

From Boston, Rowbury will go down to New York City for next Saturday's Millrose Games where she will run the NYRR Wanamaker Metric Mile, a 1500m race, again against Simpson. After that, she said she might do the USA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, but she and coach Cook had been leaning against it. However, because Albuquerque is at high altitude, Rowbury could enjoy a relative advantage because she has been "training high."

"Coach Cook did mention that," Rowbury said of the high altitude. "That's why I'm saying it's not fully out of the question because he did throw that out last week when were were at training. But, as of now, I haven't made any plans for it."

02/04/2012

Well, after a long winter hiatus of altitude training in Mexico, I'm finally putting my fingers back to work. My New Years Resolution was to be more attentive to my blog, and while it took me a month to start honoring that resolution, I'm hoping that I can keep it from here forward.

I'm kicking off my 2012 season tonight with a 3k race at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. The field is stacked and the facility is familiar (The Reggie Lewis Center). I even heard that the event is sold out, so it's sure to be a fun evening.

Videos: Yesterday Morgan Uceney, Anna Pierce, Jenny Simpson, Maggie Vessey & I did a press conference. You can watch the video recording of it (in three parts) below. (I'm still trying to figure out how to embed these...would love some help from someone more techy than myself!)